


A Few Loose Threads

by Ethan76



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26234509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethan76/pseuds/Ethan76
Summary: No one really knows what uniting the hallows will do. When Harry dies during the Battle of Hogwarts, things didn't quite go as planned for our green eyed hero. Finding himself with a second chance, what will Harry decide to do? He already did his part once, does he really want to go through it all again? - [Active, In-Progress]
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

Voldemort's voice echoed in his ears and he struggled not to let anything show on his face. If he was going to die, by Merlin, he would do it with some bloody dignity. He raised his chin and stared into those red eyes, waiting for the spell he knew was coming.

Voldemort's head was still tilted, his eyebrow raised in a silent question. But Harry refused to cower, not now, and certainly not to _him_. He poured all his concentration into breathing, trying to drown out all the thoughts that were bouncing around in his head. Seconds felt like hours, but the stillness lasted only for a moment. By some unseen signal, Voldemort's arm burst into motion and a flash of green lit up the sky.

Harry’s vision soon filled with darkness, and he found himself alone in the empty void. Time passed unnoticed, and he had no idea how long he stayed in that place. It could have been seconds, or maybe even days. But eventually the world seemed to shift around him, and everything slipped back into focus. His body felt heavy and his head was pounding, but he was awake, albeit barely.

It took him a moment to put aside the pain and really pay attention to the world around him. Suddenly, he realized just how cold he was, and that his head was resting on something soft. He could hear the faint sound of sobbing from somewhere above him, but everything still seemed so distant and far away.

He opened his eyes, blinking against the sudden rush of light and colors before a familiar mane of bushy hair filled his vision.

"Thank God your awake! I tried calling your name, but you wouldn't stir. Professor Lupin had to use a reviving charm." Hermione said frantically, her face barely a foot above his.

"Mione?" His voice came out hoarse and his throat felt scratchy. _Why is Hermione here?_

"Shhh, I'm here Harry." He felt her fingers gently carting through his hair and he leaned into her hands before she could pull away.

He cracked his eyes open again and looked up at her. Her curls fell about her face like a halo and even with her damp cheeks and rumpled uniform, she still managed to make his heart speed up a bit. _God, I was such an idiot. Why didn’t I ever tell her that while I was still alive?_ "You look beautiful 'Mione, I can't believe I never told you that before."

Her cheeks darkened with a blush and she bit her lip. "You must have hit your head pretty hard if your calling me beautiful Harry."

He rolled his eyes, "I've always thought you were beautiful, I just didn't know how to say it… When did you put on your robes? Where are we? The last thing I remember is…" He couldn't bring himself to say it, not to her. He could barely acknowledge that she must have died sometime before he did.

"It was a dementor Harry. It came into the compartment and you just collapsed. Your scar started bleeding horribly and I didn't know what to do. Merlin I was so scared, thankfully Professor Lupin was able to drive it off… Don't you ever do that again, I thought you bloody died on me!"

 _What is she talking about?_ "A dementor?" He rubbed his forehead, trying to think more clearly. _Was all that just a terrible nightmare?_

"They're the guards for Azkaban, the wizard prison. Professor Lupin said it was looking for Sirius Black." He felt Hermione grab his wrist and start twisting it to get a better look. He hardly noticed, still trying to puzzle through her last comment. _Why would dementors be searching for a dead man?_

"Harry James Potter, when did you get a tattoo?!" Hermione asked heatedly.

"What?" He looked over and felt his heart stop in his chest. There, on his wrist, was the symbol of the deathly hallows. Suddenly everything clicked into place. Professor Lupin, the Dementor, Sirius… _Bloody hell, what does all this mean- and do I really want to know? Were the hallows some form of time magic? Is that what this is? I refuse to believe that I'm some kind of master over death, and certainly not just because I found a few artifacts… I mean, it's possible that it was all just a figure of speech anyway. Getting a second chance at things can certainly be considered "mastering" death… Right?_

He took a deep breath, he needed to say something, but the truth sounded utterly insane. He knew he could convince her if he tried, but he wasn't sure if he even wanted to. Did he have a right to put that kind of burden on her shoulders? Would she view him differently?

He could work out the details later, for now, he needed to give his friend a more reasonable explanation. "I'm sorry Hermione, it was a spur of the moment decision. You see, it's a symbol that's associated with death in the wizarding world. To me, it represented the sacrifice my parents made for me, and I wanted to use it to honor them. I know it was impulsive and reckless, but it was important to me. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner ‘Mione."

She visibly bit back whatever retort she was going to say. "I forgive you Harry, but don't think we won't be talking about this later… I won't yell, I won't nag, but we _will_ talk about this.” She let out a sigh and eyed his wrist again. “You're my _friend_ Harry, and you matter to me. This is something you felt so strongly about that you literally had it inked onto your skin. I want to know more about that from you. What made you decide to get a tattoo rather then something else? How did you come across the symbol? How did you even get it _done_? If you promise to talk to me about it at some point, then I won’t be so cross with you. Deal?"

He couldn't help but smile, even when she was furious, she still supported him. "Deal, but only if we can stay like this a little longer."

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "Really Harry, being cute won't work on me." Regardless, she gently ran her fingers over his cheek before going back to playing with his hair. "This is only because you're injured," she muttered under her breath.

{o,o}  
/) ')  
-"-"-

**AN: So, I promise I'm not abandoning my other stuff, I just haven't been in the mood to write lately. I had gotten about halfway through the next chapter for The Mage of Eyrie when I had to help my mom move out of her house. Then COVID became a national issue and it's just been fairly depressing overall. My muse wasn't cooperating unfortunately. This is a story idea that I've been toying with for a while and I wanted to give a whirl, hopefully you'll like it!**

**UPDATE [1-21-21]: So, I decided to extend the interaction with Hermione a little bit, try to make it feel more emotional. I also played around with the wording on his interaction with Voldemort, tried to make it feel less clunky. Lastly, I threw in that bit about Sirius to make more of a connection to his time-magic theory.**


	2. Chapter 2

Harry knew his sudden re-emergence into the past was bound to have an impact, but he was surprised that it was already becoming noticeable to him. While it was difficult to remember the exact details of his third year, he was pretty sure he hadn’t cuddled with Hermione after the dementor attack, and he didn’t remember his scar bleeding either.

With the reality being that he could alter the timeline, Harry couldn’t help but feel torn on a number of levels. A part of him wanted to just grab Hermione and leave Britain behind. He had already tried doing the right thing before, and all he got was a damaged reputation and some government sanctioned torture. But the rest of him knew that if he stood aside and did nothing, he could never live with himself. The faces of all those kids that had died resisting had long since been burned into his memory.

Did he have a right to do nothing when so many would suffer? Would his involvement end up putting them in more danger? Hermione’s tortured screams in Malfoy Manor were something that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t handle causing more of his friends to suffer the same fate.

He ground his teeth together. No, if nothing else, he would deal with the Malfoy family. He refused to allow that aspect of history to ever repeat itself.

Something must have shown on his face because he felt Hermione tug on his hair. “What’s bothering you Harry?”

It was just the two of them now. Everyone else had left to give them some privacy once it was clear that Harry’s head wasn’t moving from Hermione’s lap. Yet another change from before, even if it was a minor one.

“I’m thinking of all the mistakes that I’ve made in my life, and all the times that you've wound up hurt because of them. Each year I try so hard to be normal that I forget how dangerous my life really is.” He sighed, his short-sightedness in his old life had been not only extremely reckless, but had turned him into a liability during the war. He would never have survived as long as he did if it wasn’t for Hermione.

“This year is different. I can’t afford to play with our lives like that anymore. I'm dropping Divination and I'm going to start self-studying DADA. I doubt they'd let me hire a private instructor, but I can still learn more then what they cover in the classroom… I should probably join you in Ancient Runes too. I can't really ignore the benefits of learning wards and curse-breaking, and I need a second elective anyway. I know that’s a lot more than I'm used to, but if I drop quidditch, I think I can manage it.”

“But you love quidditch! I’m glad you want to take your studies more seriously, but I’m concerned it’s for the wrong reasons. Harry-“

“No! You almost _died_ last year Hermione! You are my best friend, and I need to keep you safe. Taking my education seriously is the best way for me to do that. Besides, I love flying, not quidditch.”

She worried her lip, “Fine, I won’t argue with you on this Harry. But we _are_ doing this together. You keep saying that you have to keep me safe, but we keep each other safe, remember? We always have, and that’s not about to stop now… And, I thought Ron was your best friend?”

He grunted, more than a little displeased at the thought. He didn’t hate Ron, but he stopped trusting him after that mess during the hunt for horcruxes. It made him look at things a lot more critically. _How many times has his jealousy and anger got in the way over the years? How many times has he abandoned us?_ “When I first met Ron, I was so desperate to have a connection with someone that I jumped at the first opportunity. But I don’t think he really understands me, and I doubt he ever will. I’m not saying that I’m not his friend, but it just never felt as comfortable as it does with you. Why, do you mind being my best friend?”

She pinched him, “Of course not you cheeky prat. We’ll talk to Professor McGonagall tonight, after the feast.”

o-O-o

Their encounter with Professor McGonagall came much sooner than they expected. As soon as they got off the train, Hagrid started handing out portkeys that would take the students directly into the castle. Apparently, the risk of dementor exposure was deemed too great after their impromptu boarding of the express earlier.

Harry felt the familiar tug on his navel and quickly bent his knees so he wouldn’t fall over when he landed. Unfortunately, he forgot that Hermione hadn’t used a portkey before, and she was swaying all over the place. He grabbed her arm before she could tip over and pulled her into his side. “Lean into me. The dizziness should pass soon, but you almost fell over.”

“Thanks Harry,” she muttered softly, a blush already darkening her cheeks.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, come with me please!” Professor McGonagall said before she started moving down the hall. “There’s no need to look so worried, I’m just taking you to the infirmary. Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you had taken ill on the train, Potter.”

Harry made no move to follow and gently pulled Hermione back when she tried go. “Hold on Professor, Hermione hasn’t used a portkey before. She needs a moment to steady herself or she’ll fall right over. And what do you mean about taking ill? I wasn’t puking up liquorice wands, I was attacked by dementors! Where are the aurors? I would have expected law enforcement to get involved as soon as we arrived. Have they even been contacted yet?”

“That is quite enough Mr. Potter! I know that this is a serious matter, I was merely trying to be delicate. A report will be filed with the DMLE as soon as Madam Pomfrey checks you over, and I will forward complaint along as well. I didn’t think we needed aurors here if I was already sending the relevant paperwork. As horrid as it sounds, the dementors are here on behalf of the ministry, their presence was expected. Now, are you satisfied young man?”

“No, not at all! A complaint? I was almost murdered tonight; I believe that is serious enough to warrant an interview with the DMLE. At the very least, this is still a matter that needs to be investigated. The dementors should not have been able to board the express without a direct order from the ministry, and I doubt they would have done that without an auror presence. As soon as you realized they were gone you should have contacted the DMLE to contain the situation.” He knew that he was overreacting, he could have easily just sent an owl to the ministry and been done with it. But all he could think about was how this went nowhere in his old life. It was never mentioned in the papers, the aurors never spoke with him, and the dementors were never dealt with. He whipped out his wand and silently summoned a patronus. “Tonks, it’s Harry. I need you to grab your boss and come over to Hogwarts, quickly. Dementors boarded the express and there were some students that got attacked. Madam Pomfrey is still checking over everyone, but I think the whole train got at least some minor exposure.”

Prongs sped off through a wall and he looked back over at Hermione. It was only then that he realized he may have messed up. Hermione’s mouth was hanging open and she was staring at him wide-eyed. Professor McGonagall looked frozen stiff. Hermione was the first to break out of it and she frowned at him. “That was silent casting Harry, and you never thought that was worth mentioning to me? Not once during the entire train ride? And what kind of magic did you cast anyway, that looked like you were sending some kind of message, but I’ve never heard of a communication spell before… And just who the bloody hell is Tonks?!”

He felt his cheeks go scarlet, “I can explain-“

“Mr. Potter! I have tolerated your backtalk because you are injured and stressed, but I have reached my limit! I am merely trying to ensure that you receive medical attention, the investigations could have been handled after you were seen to. That being said, I must admit that you accomplished some impressive spellwork there. Silent casting for a NEWT level charm, that’s unheard of at your age. You can take 10 points for your skill, and I expect to see you bring that level of polish to your schoolwork from now on.”

Hermione let out a squeak, “NEWT-Level?!” She eyed him for a moment before her face brightened and she broke into a grin. “It’s seems we’ll have much to talk about during that discussion you promised me.” With a light pinch she added, “Now, you are seeing Madam Pomfrey whether you like it or not. You collapsed; I don’t think you can solve that with a bit of chocolate. I agree that the aurors should be contacted, but my biggest concern right now is your health.”

McGonagall let out a sigh, "Come now children, we best get back to the Great Hall. I’ll have madam Pomfrey meet us there instead. I have a feeling that Mr. Potter's message will have every auror on duty rushing to get to the school. While this wasn't my preferred method, maybe this incident will get them to pull those wretched creatures from the school."

{o,o}  
/) ')  
-"-"-

**AN: So, I decided to extend the McGonagall interaction and wrap it up in one chapter. I hope you like it, even if it's only a few lines more! As a side-note, I'd like to point out the McG used that exact line about "taking ill" in the books, I just tried to give Harry a bit more heavy of a response then the original "I'm fine." I mean, if Lupin hadn't shown up there would be seven legally dead vegetables. Also, they never portkeyed into the castle during POA, but I thought it made more sense based on the level of danger. Same with having McG writing a complaint to the aurors, it wasn't mentioned but I took a leap that it would have happened.**

**UPDATE [2]: So, I thought about what LunaM303 mentioned in her review and I realized Hermione’s actions didn’t fit the character. Yes, she will still be upset about him hiding things, but she should also be concerned about his health. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it didn’t fit. So I tweaked the last interaction and I was hoping to see what you all thought? She is still upset that he didn’t tell her (as well as about him contacting this mysterious Tonks) but she gets over it seconds later. She’s still bossy and demands/expects an explanation, but she is willing to put it off until she knows he’s okay. – What do you guys think? Thoughts, concerns, critics – Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take long for them to make it back to the Great Hall, and Harry was shocked to see it transformed into a massive hospital ward. The benches and tables were pushed to the back of the room and beds covered the floor. Many of the younger years were clutching their heads groaning and even a few of the older students were just sitting there crying. Between the dementor exposure and any injuries from first-time portkey travel, many of the students were injured. Thankfully, he didn't see any funeral shrouds, but the hall was filled with pained moans. He hadn't considered it initially, but his difficulty waking probably made Professor Lupin stay with him longer than before. It was likely that more dementors got on board or they ran into more students this time around.

The doors to the Great Hall burst open and Tonks came running in. Her hair was a shocking shade of white and it looked flat and muted for once. An older woman wearing a monocle was keeping stride beside her, she looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't really place her. A sea of aurors and mediwizards came bursting in behind them. "I'm here Harry, I brought the cavalry! Sorry, I can't really remember who you are, but I came."

Harry moved towards her quickly, flashing her a smile. "We never met actually. I knew you worked with the aurors though, so I gave you a call. Thank you for coming, Tonks."

"How did you know I was training to be an auror if we've never met? And how'd you know who I was to begin with, you're what, a second year?"

He couldn't help but blush, "I'm a third year, thank you very much! I was researching my family last year and you came up, I was just too nervous to reach out… It didn't help that half the Hufflepuffs wanted to murder me last year for the whole 'Heir of Slytherin' bullshit."

She tilted her head, "We're related? You're not secretly a Malfoy, are you?"

He laughed, "No, I'm a Potter. Harry Potter," he lifted his fringe to prove it.

"Blimey, Harry Potter!"

A faint cough interrupted them, and the older woman finally spoke up. "While I'm glad you both were able to finally meet each other, I would very much like to find out what happened here. I'm Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE."

He straightened, "Right, of course! Sorry for getting distracted. We were about half-way to Hogwarts when the express just stopped. All the lights went out and everything seemed to frost over. That's when the dementors came. One of them came into my compartment and grabbed me, I passed out shortly after. Apparently, Professor Lupin was able to drive them off and then Hagrid gave us all portkeys as soon as we pulled into the station. They didn't want to risk anything during the lake crossing, too dangerous I guess. Anyway, Professor McGonagall said she was going to send the information to DMLE but not actually request aurors. I got a little upset and called Tonks… In her defense, I don't think she knew it was this bad. We only knew about my compartment at the time."

Miss Bones nodded, "You did the right thing Mr. Potter. As of right now, aurors are going to be stationed in and around the castle to help deter further attacks. Unfortunately, I cannot remove them without written orders from the Minister of Magic. For the moment, the Dementors are still tasked with searching the grounds and surrounding area for Sirius Black. I'll start an investigation into why the attacked the express and I'll try to lean on the Minister to remove them from the school, but that may take some time… Tonks, I'm putting you on the docket for guard duty. Feel free to catch up with Mr. Potter, but remember, you are guarding the students, not playing with them."

Tonks smiled and gave a cheeky salute, "You got it Boss!"


End file.
